The hub of information for the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program, our blog contains posts with announcements, news and events, articles, periodicals and additions or updates to our website.

This page contains published posts from the March 2013 archive sorted chronologically with the newest at the top.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following event was recently added to our calendar.

Our exciting Golfing for GAL event is back for a fifth year. Save the Date on your calendar now; additional details will be provided when available.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Dine in or take out at The Wharf Express tell your cashier that you support the Guardian ad Litem and Child Advocates II share event. 15% of your sale will be donated to CAII in support of our program.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Dine in or take out at supporting restaurants and tell your cashier that you support the Guardian ad Litem and Child Advocates II share event. A portion of your sale will be donated to CAII in support of our program.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events were recently added to our calendar.

Guardian ad Litem Bookfair at Books-A-MillionThursday, April 4, Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, 2013, from 10 AM–10 PMBuy from a large selection of books, magazines, music and movies, then tell your cashier that you support Guardian ad Litem and Child Advocates II. A portion of your sale will be donated to CAII in support of our program.

Moe's Share Day FundraiserTuesday, April 9, 2013, 11 AM–10 PMDine in or take out at Moe's on Thomasville Road and tell your cashier that you support the Guardian ad Litem and Child Advocates II share event. 15% of your sale will be donated to CAII in support of our program.

Panhandle Quarter AuctionTuesday, April 9, 2013, 6 PM–8:30 PMParticipate in a fun vendor auction, sell your gold and try to win the 50/50 cash raffle, ticket raffle and door prizes. 15% of proceeds will be donated to CAII in support of our program.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events have been recently added to our calendar.

We regularly host a variety of events to provide community outreach, raise awareness of our program, recruit new volunteers, fund raise and furnish training to our volunteer guardians ad litem. The following events have been recently added to our calendar.

In the article—"In Giving of Yourself, You Reap the Benefits: The Guardian ad Litem Program"—volunteer guardian ad litem Sharon Nicholson shares how she became involved with our program and describes her positive experiences during four years of service.

Without the support of volunteers like Sharon, our program would not be able to meet the needs of children in our community. We thank her for sharing her experiences and helping to encourage others to volunteer.

When I first thought about becoming a guardian ad litem volunteer, it was because I wanted to do something different. I wanted to get involved with an organization where I could meet new people, make new friends and experience something new.

I spoke to a couple of co-workers who were guardian ad litem volunteers to gain their perspective and see how well they liked it. After hearing their great reviews, I decided to make the phone call and sign up for the training. It was great! The training had a laid back atmosphere with a lot of interaction between the class and instructors. Everyone was so friendly and nice.

After completing the training, I chose the case I wanted to work on and set out to meet my first child. That was in 2009. Today I'm working on my seventh case for the program. Some cases take longer to resolve then others and no two cases are alike. The guardian ad litem program works in partnership with other community advocates to provide a powerful voice in court on behalf of abused or neglected children.

Being a guardian ad litem volunteer is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. Seeing the difference you can make in a child's life is immeasurable in knowing you can tell the court exactly what's going on in that child's life, what they want and need, what they think and feel. The best part is when it all comes together in the end and the family is either reunited or the child gets a permanent home with loving foster parents who want to love and nurture your child in the way they deserve. There's no greater satisfaction in knowing you've done your job well.

I encourage anyone to get involved and be a GAL volunteer. You won't regret it! If you'd like more information on becoming a guardian ad litem volunteer, please visit their website, www.gal2.org.